Jesus and His disciples had gone away by themselves into an uninhabited portion of the country, but the people, hearing of it, flocked to Him out of the cities by thousands. The day had been spent in healing the sick, "And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now passed; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give them to eat. And they said unto Him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes." (Matthew 14:15-17)
We can easily picture the astonishment of the disciples when Jesus said to them, "Give them to eat." (Matthew 14:16)
They never had a day's provision ahead for themselves, and here were five thousand hungry men, besides women and children equally hungry. The food that they then had in their possession was not sufficient to provide each one of that multitude with a very small taste; and yet the disciples did give them food so that "They did all eat and were filled." (Matthew 14:20)
How was it accomplished? Just in this way: "[Jesus] took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and broke and gave the loaves and two fishes to His disciples and the disciples to the multitude." (Matthew 14:19)
There are greater multitudes today who are hungering for the bread of life. Few of them are conscious of the fact that it is the bread of life that they are longing for, but they do not know what will supply that need. And though they are out of the fold, the Lord has not cast them off, and they are among those to whom He refers when He says, "Feed my sheep," (John 21:16) and, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15)
The Lord says to His disciples, "Give them to eat." (Matthew 14:16)
If we cry, "Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:16)
The answer comes, "Our sufficiency is of God." (2 Corinthians 3:5)
We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, and "the words which man's wisdom teaches," (1 Corinthians 2:13) are empty and vain. But Christ has "The words of eternal life," (John 6:68) and "He whom God has sent speaks the words of God." (John 3:34)
Receiving the bread of life fresh from His hands, we may give them to the hungry people, who, eating them, will find them to the joy and rejoicing of their hearts. "Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, O Lord God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16)--Present Truth, August 15, 1895--Timeline: IV-38 (Feeding the Five Thousand)--Matthew 14:15-20.